Snowfall
by choz
Summary: Tensions are rising between the three Clans, and a second war is near. It's not the best time for our main cast to be thrown into a wild, unforgiving world- without their powers. Will they survive to what lurks in the forest? (Rewriting an old story.)
1. Allegiances

**BANK** **CLAN-**

 _LEADER:_ **NIGHTSTAR –** small black tom with orange eyes  
 _HEALER:_ **RIPPLEPELT** **–** silver tabby she-cat with green eyes  
 _DEPUTY:_ **PINEHEART –** dark brown classic tabby tom with green eyes

 _WARRIORS_

 **DAWNBIRD –** calico she-cat with blue eyes

 **FIRECLAW –** ginger tabby tom with a torn ear

 **PATCHSTORM –** black-and-white tom with yellow eyes

 **BRIGHTPELT –** ginger tabby tom

 **BRANCHFOOT –** tortoiseshell she-cat

 **SILVERCLAW –** silver tabby she-cat

 **SOOTSHADE –** black ticked tabby tom

 **RIVERFUR –** brown classic tabby tom

 **BRINDLETALON –** large tortoiseshell she-cat

 **ROOKFUR –** black tom with white underbelly

 **PIKESPLASH –** dark spotted tabby she-cat

 _APPRENTICES_

 **BLACKPAW –** yellow-eyed black tom. MENTOR: RIVERFUR

 _QUEENS_

 **MAPLEFLOWER –** calico she-cat

 **SANDBREEZE –** pale calico queen

 _KITS_

 **GOLDEN** **KIT** **–** bicolour cream tabby tom.

 **FLAME** **KIT** **–** ginger classic tabby tom.

 **PEBBLE** **KIT** **–** black classic tabby tom.

 **SMOKE** **KIT** **–** fluffy black tabby tom.

 **FROST** **KIT** **–** blue-and-white classic tabby tom.

 **BRACKEN** **KIT** **–** calico classic tabby she-cat.

 _ELDERS_  
 **BRAMBLEWHISKER –** brown tabby tom

 **POPPYSTEM –** tortoiseshell, used to be healer

 **CROOKEDFOOT –** black-and-white tom with a crooked paw

 **OAK** **CLAN-**

 _LEADER:_ **BIRCH** **STAR –** silver spotted tabby tom  
 _HEALER:_ **SPOTTEDHEART** **–** calico she-cat  
 _DEPUTY:_ **OWLFANG** **–** brown-and-white tabby she-cat

 _WARRIORS_

 **CROWFLIGHT –** black tom

 **GINGEREYE –** ginger tom with vibrant green eyes.

 **EMBERCLAW –** tortoiseshell she-cat.

 **LYNXFACE –** beautiful brown-and-white tabby she-cat.

 **LEOPARDTAIL –** black spotted tabby she-cat

 **BLACKFALL –** slenderblack tom

 **FERNPELT –** tabbytortoiseshell she-cat

 **CREEKSTRIKE –** tortoiseshell she-cat with a white locket and tail-tip

 **PATCHFOOT –** black-and-white tom

 _APPRENTICES_

 **TREEPAW** **–** brown tabby tom. MENTOR: EMBERCLAW

 **RATPAW** **–** black tom. MENTOR: GINGEREYE

 **STRIPEPAW** **–** brown tabby she-cat. MENTOR: LYNXFACE

 _QUEENS_

 **RAINFEATHER –** fluffyblack tabby she-cat

 **SHADOWCLAW –** black she-cat with amber eyes

 _KITS_

 **STREAMKIT –** black tabby tom

 **TWIGKIT –** black tabby she-cat

 **NIGHTKIT –** black tom

 **DARKKIT –** black tabby she-cat

 **SWIFTKIT –** black-and-white tom

 **BARKKIT –** black-and-white tabby tom

 _ELDERS_  
 **BLUEFROST** **–** blue and white tom

 **ICECLAN** **-**  
 _LEADER:_ **GREY** **STAR –** stocky grey she-cat  
 _HEALER:_ **SILVERLEAP** **–** grey tabby tom  
 _DEPUTY:_ **RABBITSTEP** **–** blue-and-white ticked tabby tom

 _WARRIORS_

 **BIRDTALON –** battle-scarred brown-and-white tabby, mate of Dustwhisker

 **WHITEBELLY –** blue she-cat with a white underbelly and paws

 **STONEPELT –** blue-grey tabby tom with amber eyes

 **SHADOWFUR –** black tom with yellow eyes

 **PALEHEART –** dilute tortoiseshell she-cat, mate of Rabbitstep

 **DUSKCLAW –** dilute calico she-cat

 **CLOUDFUR –** blue-and-white she-cat, mate of Pathstripe

 **FOGBREEZE –** grey tom with golden-yellow eyes

 **PATHSTRIPE –** brown-and-white tabby tom

 **ROCKSLIDE –** hazel-eyedgrey she-cat

 **DEWPELT –** cream tabby tom

 _APPRENTICES_

 **SMALLPAW** **–** small blue tom. MENTOR: PALEHEART

 _QUEENS_

 **DUSTWHISKER –** dilute tortoiseshell

 _KITS_

 **MOUNTAINKIT –** blue-grey tabby tom

 **WINDKIT –** tortoiseshell-and-white tabby she-cat

 **BROWNKIT –** brown tabby tom

 _ELDERS_  
 **BLUE** **TAIL** **–** grey she-cat


	2. A New Beginning

Usual morning on the riverside.

A fresh breeze gently blowing through the foliage, the distant sound of waves crashing on gravel and sand, the chirps and calls of various birds. But mostly cats. Pads softly thumping against the compact ground, paws and lashing tails hitting ferns and tall grass, a few quiet meows. I sat in the nursery, curiously watching the little area of camp that I could see. Under constant threat, we weren't allowed outside.

My name is Lloyd Garmadon.

"Goldenkit, pay attention!" a tawny calico said, her stare meeting my cyan eyes.

Well, it used to be.

Sandbreeze is our mother, here. Our father doesn't pay that much attention to us. BankClan are friendly. They feed us mice and fish, they let us play with mossballs, they let us do everything a cute little kitten would do- but now, at six months, we're almost as big as them!

"You're coming, Lloyd?"

My ears twitched at Kai's whisper. We avoided calling each other by our real names in public.

We're the youngest, the kits -an abbreviation of kitten, I think-. One day, Bramblewhisker, an elder, told us a story about Shooting Star, a swimming cat who created BankClan after fleeing from what sounded like an abandoned city. That's why the leaders have -star at the end of their names. I loved those stories, but I missed the ancient stories of Ninjago.

When we heard a loud call "May all cats old enough to swim by the bank gather on the Island for a Clan meeting," Flamekit's tail-tip twitched as he stepped out of the large burrow. My pupils narrowing to adjust to the sunlight, I followed my ginger brother.

The warriors were all jumping in the large river, down the hill that our camp was located on. Unlike the other Clans, BankClan treated water was an advantage, and not a threat. A mix of curiosity and excitement gave my steps a little bounce.

"Don't even think about looking like this for your apprentice ceremony!"

Sandbreeze's flicked her patched tail. It was like being a kid again- and that's actually what we are! I let out a mewl of protest, the queen stepping in front of me and licking my ruffled pale golden fur. Jay and Kai were laughing their whiskers off.

She finally let me go and padded over to Jay, grooming his neck and forehead.

"Your pelt's all tangled, Pebblekit!"

"Sandbreeeeze!"

His tail lashed in frustration, while Kai backed away, not wanting to receive the same treatment. The calico let them go too and lifted her head, scanning through the crowd and easily spotting Cole, Nya and Zane. I noticed where the other cats were going: a small island, made out of large half-submerged boulders. The surrounding part of the river turned into shallow rapids, and I gulped at the thought of swimming through them. As we got closer, I saw a whole branch being battered by the waves, demonstrating how strong the current was.

However, instead of entering the water, Sandbreeze took a few steps to her left. I noticed a fallen tree, a makeshift bridge to the pile of boulders. She looked at us with a faint, worried grimace, then unsheathed her claws. The patched she-cat made her way to the other side in graceful strides, her long fur blowing in the wind. She leaped on another rock and bumped into a tortoiseshell, who glanced at us. Sandbreeze whispered something to her, most likely an apology, then looked back at her kits.

"Be careful." 

I gave a curt nod and went first, followed by Kai. Unafraid, I placed one paw in front of another, trying to ignore the roaring whitewater right under the tree. I sped up the pace, giving myself a boost with my hind legs before landing on the boulder where my... mother.. was. She licked between my ears, and soon, the rest of the family followed. Cole was the last and almost slipped.

Sandbreeze said nothing, but her eyes showed nothing but love. A tom in front of her looked over his shoulder, and I recognized our biological father. His brother Pineheart, next in line to become leader, was the one who brought us food and made new toys and games to keep us entertained. The only physical difference between the two cats was their body builds. Pineheart was bulky and muscular, while Riverfur was skinny and tall. They both had thick, swirly stripes, just like Jay.

"I'm so proud of you!" Riverfur mewed.

"Thanks," Zane said, smiling faintly and looking up at the brown tabby.

"Thank you!" I meowed, and Nya said the same thing.

The brown tabby smiled, then took a few steps back, sitting next to Sandbreeze. She didn't even look at him.

"Yeah, proud. He never cared about us," Jay spat under his breath. Not responding, I flicked my ears and lifted my head.

Sitting on top of the biggest boulder, a slender black tom was waiting for us, his gaze serene and peaceful. Multiple scars ran across both of his back legs.

"My name is Nightstar. You can sit right there," he mewed, his dark orange eyes contrasting against his ebony coat.

Everyone was happy today, but as I surveyed the crowd, I noticed that every single cat had scars. Pineheart sat on the boulder next to us, and even he had a big missing patch of fur on his left shoulder.

All the cats stopped chatting and whispering as soon as the leader spoke in a loud, modulated voice.

"Frostkit. You have reached six moons of age, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Frostpaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."

Nightstar then called a gingery-yellow tomcat with a flick of his tail. The bright tabby's eyes filled with shock as the Clan erupted in murmurs. I caught snips of conversation.

"Sunny? He's way too young!"  
"He was an apprentice when they were born!"

Intrigued, I examined Zane's mentor carefully. A bright ginger tabby, sparkling green eyes, a nicked ear and a thin scar on his left foreleg... Gaze filled with nervousness. He sat down on the boulder in front of us.

"Brightpelt, you are ready to take on an apprentice," the leader meowed. "You have received excellent training from Ebonyclaw..."

The Clan fell silent as he pronounced that name.

"...and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Frostpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him."

"I-I will, Nightstar."

Brightpelt touched noses with Zane, who looked rather confused. The whole Clan started to cheer.

"Frostpaw! Frostpaw! Frostpaw!"

Nightstar told them to stop by raising his paw.

"Pebblekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, you will be known as Pebblepaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the courage and strength of a warrior."

He continued like this for all of us.

Nightstar told us to go meet our mentors, while all the other cats, young and old, cheered our new names happily. We all got back to camp.

My mentor was Pineheart, and I was a little bit excited. The deputy!

"Look at these other cats hiding there, in the bushes," Zane meowed.

He wasn't a nindroid anymore, and had lost a lot of abilities, like us all. But he was right, there were a lot of cats hidden in the undergrowth. They smelled like earth and moisture, while we smelled like the fresh air by the river.

"OakClan!" a cat called.

That was enough for the strange cats to leap out of the shadows, teeth bared and claws outstretched.

I remembered all the stories about OakClan, how their leader Ashstar used to kill the weak and the... impure, as he called them. The endless war, the stories behind their scars. The duel between Ashstar and Nightstar, where the black tom had ripped out his throat in a single swipe.

OakClan's current leader was Birchstar, Ashstar's son.


	3. Battle Training

The word "war" was on every cat's mouths as they prepared for a new day, a moon after the initial battle. There had been another one a few days ago. We'd lost Sandbreeze and Nightstar had lost one of his lives. The only thing I could see in his eyes was stress and exhaustion, and he rarely left his den in the boulders at all.

Our mother here might be dead, but I'm still wondering where my real mother is. Or my father, even if technically, he wasn't there… and where are everyone who used to be in Ninjago? Why are we here? Are we stuck here forever? What happens when one of us dies?

So many questions that will be left unanswered.

Dim light filtered through the cracks between the decomposing bark. Riverfur passed our den, a hollow tree trunk, and sighed loudly before he trotted out of camp. Sandbreeze's death had affected him the most.

Pale stripes of pink and yellow stretched across the dawn sky. We were resting in the apprentices' den as I groomed my white paws. At least all of our wounds had healed or were healing.

"I hate this place," Jay hissed softly, so cats outside of the den couldn't hear him.

"We're stuck here for now. Better get used to it," Nya replied.

"Yeah, it's not like that everyday," Kai said.

The classic tabby sighed, and it all went silent again. I hated this place too. The cats were nice, unlike the atmosphere.

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"Battle training," Pineheart replied, cobwebs and a strange leaf poultice still plastered against his upper back. It was all held together by some sort of thin plant wrapped around his body, similar to reeds.

"We've only been doing battle training..."

The dark brown tabby flattened his ears. He responded curtly. "Battle training."

I glanced at the ground. "Sorry."

"It-"

He was interrupted by Nya's mentor. "Wanna train with us?" the light grey she-cat with black stripes asked.

"Sure, Silverclaw," the bulky tabby meowed, shaking out his pelt.

"We're all going together."

I smiled, and Kai's mentor Patchstorm walked over to us, acting like the leader even though Pineheart was the deputy.

"After a small patrol on the IceClan border, we'll continue to practice normal fighting."

Pineheart nodded and I shuffled my paws.

"Okay," said Fireclaw, Jay's mentor, flicking his newly torn ear and wincing a little.

...

After an endless amount of walking, climbing, and leaping, we stopped near a little creek. There was a small patch of forest on the other side, but huge mountains were in the distance, covered with bushes, pines and sometimes spots of grass, but mostly stone and earth. They basked in light fog.

"That's IceClan," Fireclaw meowed. "They live in caves, in the mountains."

"The view must be pretty, from up there," Nya said.

"Yeah, but falling is dangerous. That's why IceClan cats have long, thick fur, paw pads adapted to stone, and sharp claws."

"It's cold, too," Brightpelt mewed.

"Well, it must be cold for Sunny," Silverclaw purred.

Brightpelt rolled his eyes, but still twitched his whiskers in amusement. Sunny was his nickname, most of the Clan called him that. I haven't figured out why, probably some shenanigans during the war.

My ears lowered a little as I thought of it. It's a shame that we lost our powers. We could have saved Sandbreeze from that OakClan attack.

We continued walking, following the creek. Patchstorm tripped on a root on the way, and even though he was embarrassed, we all laughed.

Finally, we entered a large clearing right next to the stream. Our mentors stood in front of us, and all gave instructions. Pineheart's rough voice was easily distinguishable.

"Offence, go."

My pale fur bristling, I made sure to keep my claws sheathed as I reared up on my hind legs. I got ready to swipe at his face with both paws. Before I could act, he charged, making me lose my balance. I fell on my back with a thump, gasping, and he pressed a paw against my belly.

"Don't expose your stomach. Be fast, leap forwards with paws outstretched."

He let me get up and I shook out my pelt, determined. Pineheart glanced over at Brightpelt, who was pinned down by Zane. He murmured something and they both stood.

"Frostpaw, Goldenpaw! Remember, claws sheathed."

The look in Pineheart's eyes made what he wanted clear, and he sat down next to the other warrior while me and Frostpaw got ready to attack. He lashed his tail furiously, his back arched and his lips drawn back to reveal his sharp teeth.

I did the same, taking a few slow steps forwards before swiping at his muzzle. He dodged it and ran towards me, but I kicked his back legs before he could hit me. He fell on his side and I tried to pin him down.

Zane huffed and rolled over. He swung at my eye. That would've blinded me in a real fight.

I jumped on him and we started wrestling, pretending to bite and scratch at everything. Finally, I got the upper hand, or paw, and managed to pin the grey-and-white tabby down.

"Done," Brightpelt said.

Breathing heavily, I let him go and he nodded before padding over to his mentor. I did the same and Pineheart gave a faint smile.

"Decent. When you attack, be unpredictable. For example, fake an attack to the cheek and go for the shoulder, it always works for me at the start of a fight. If you're in danger, the spots you want to claw or bite are the thighs, throat, and belly."

"Noted," I told Pineheart, looking at him.

Kai trotted into the den, parting his jaws in a yawn. Cole followed the ginger tom, two fish in his mouth. He plopped down in his nest and dropped a fish.

"Anyone wanna share?"

"You're eating two?" Kai asked.

"I brought it for everyone, mousebrain," the fluffy tabby hissed.

"You're getting the slang, now," I said.

Cole flattened his ears for a few seconds, looking at me.

"Come on, stop acting like an angry Jay," Kai meowed.

"Hey!" Jay growled, his pupils narrowing.

The ebony cat gave half a fish to the red tom.

"Cole sharing food? That's a phenomenon that only happens... actually, never," Jay said.

"Who are you talking to, Blue?"

"All we do is train, so you must be pleased!"

"Training is imp-"

"We're trying to _sleep_ here!" Patchstorm snorted, peeking through the entrance. He glared at us all, his eyes blazing, and grumbled as he walked off. "Stupid apprentices..."

We exchanged a glance, shut our muzzles, and went to sleep.


End file.
